Section 212: Publication, commencement and laying of rules and notifications
Motor Vehicles Act • Official Statutory Text & Practice Guide
Statutory Regulation
Legal Standard
Competent Court / Tribunal
Act 1988
Motor Vehicles Act • Official Statutory Text & Practice Guide
(1) The power to make rules under this Act is subject to the condition of the rules being made after previous publication.
(2) All rules made under this Act shall be published in the Official Gazette, and shall unless some later date is appointed, come into force on the date of such publication.
(3) Every rule made by any State Government shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before the State Legislature.
(4) Every rule made by the Central Government under this Act, every scheme made by the Central Government under sub-section (1) of section 75 and sub-section (1) of section 163 and every notification issued by the Central Government under sub-section (4) of section 41, sub-section (1) of section 58, sub-section (1) of section 59, the proviso to sub-section (1) of section 112 [section 118], [sub-section (4) of section 163A] [section 164, section 177A] and sub-section (4) of section 213 shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before each House of Parliament while it is in session for a total period of thirty days which may be comprised in one session or in two or more successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session immediately following the session or the successive sessions aforesaid, both Houses agree in making any modification in the rule, scheme or notification or both Houses agree that the rule or scheme should not be made or the notification should not be issued, the rule, scheme or notification shall thereafter have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so, however, that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that rule, scheme or notification. [(5) Every notification issued by the State Government under section 210A shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before each House of the State Legislature where it consists of two Houses, or where such Legislature consists of one House, before that House, while it is in session for a total period of thirty days which may be comprised in one session or in two or more successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session immediately following the session or the successive sessions aforesaid, the House agrees or both Houses agree, as the case may be, in making any modification in the notification or the House agrees or both Houses agree, as the case may be, that the notification should not be issued, the notification shall thereafter have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect as the case may be; so, however, that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that notification.]
Legal Commentary & Landmark Judgments: Section 212
Section 212 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 governs the mandatory procedural conditions precedent for delegated legislation under the Act, establishing the requirement of prior public publication of draft rules and the compulsory laying of all rules and notifications before Parliament or State Legislatures.
When challenging a new State transport notification, fare hike, or speed-limiting rule, investigate whether the government complied with Section 212(1) by publishing draft rules and considering public objections. Non-compliance with the mandatory statutory procedure of previous publication under Section 23 of the General Clauses Act r/w Section 212 renders the notification ultra vires and void.